Billeater: Fight Rising Gas Prices with a Supermarket Rewards Program

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As gas prices continue to rise, everyone is looking for new ways to save money at the pump. Several grocery store chains have teamed up with gas rewards programs to offer their customers the opportunity to save on gasoline by purchasing items at the grocery store. Well-informed customers have saved hundreds of dollars on gasoline by consolidating all of their shopping at a store that offers gas rewards.

Since any merchandise purchase counts toward the gas rewards, you could buy gift cards for other stores and earn the rewards from the grocery store. Many grocery stores sell gift cards for home improvement stores, music services, and even online shopping destinations. The more you purchase through the participating grocery store, the more of your cash will go toward saving money on gasoline.

Weis Markets

Weis offers a 10-cent discount on gasoline purchased at any Weis Gas 'n Go Fuel station for every $50 that a customer spends at a Weis Market. The discount is limited to 20 gallons per visit. Weis Markets are located in several states along the Northeastern coast.

Stop & Shop

When you sign up for the Stop & Shop reward program, you can earn 10 cents toward gasoline for every $100 you spend in the stores. There is a limit of $2.20 in free gas for each visit, and the rewards are redeemable at all Stop & Shop gas stations and some Shell stations. Stop & Shop stores are also located primarily in the Northeast.

Kroger/Ralph's

Shell fuel stations have teamed up with Kroger to offer 10 cents per gallon of gasoline for every $100 of merchandise purchased at a Kroger grocery store. You can find Kroger throughout the United States, with a large concentration of stores along the East Coast and in the Midwest and Ralph's stores in Southern California.

Bi-Lo

Bi-Lo is a participating member of the FuelPerks program, which offers 20 cents off on a gallon of gasoline for every $50 you spend at the Bi-Lo grocery store. Bi-Lo is a chain of grocery stores that are open in several Southern states.

Winn-Dixie

Also a member of the FuelPerks program, shoppers earn 20 cents toward a gallon of gasoline each time they purchase $50 in merchandise at Winn-Dixie. You will find Winn-Dixie stores throughout the Southeast, including Florida.

Giant/Martin's

Giant and Martin's stores offer the same FuelPerks savings, with 20 cents off on a gallon of gasoline for every $50 spent inside the grocery store. Giant and Martin's stores are located throughout many of the Northeastern coastal states.

Roundy's

This is a smaller chain of grocery stores centralized in Wisconsin. They also participate in the FuelPerks program, with the same 20-cent discount per gallon of gasoline for every $50 spent in the store.

Most of these rewards programs require that you use the rewards within a specific amount of time before they expire. For example, if you earn discounts toward your gasoline in January, you will need to use those discounts before the end of February or you would lose them.

Shoppers who plan their gasoline and grocery purchases carefully so that they coincide with the program regulations could save a great deal on their gas simply by purchasing the groceries they would have bought anyway. Make sure you understand the rules of the rewards program that you participate in so that you can maximize your gasoline savings each month. Many of these store rewards programs also offer special member discounts on groceries and other items throughout the store when you join.

Jessica Bosari writes for the money-saving site, Billeater.com. The site is devoted to helping people reduce expenses, save money and find great deals. Pay Billeater a visit for more money-saving tips!